Publisher's Synopsis
Provides a concise picture of advancements in the field of biofilms control and discussion of recent advances and new approaches in the field. Biofilms are ubiquitous in nature and are encountered in a wide spectrum of natural and man-made environments in aquatic systems. Their occurrence is wide ranging, from rocks, ship hulls, power plant cooling water systems, heat processing industries for example. In biomedical and clinical settings biofilms are known to infest the vital organs of the human body and have been a source of contamination on implants and prostheses, and can also affect oral health.
Biofilm formation is an integral component of the life cycle of microbes, and current investigations have revealed that biofilm communities are very complex, dynamic systems which are heterogenous and have evolved with respect to the highly specialized environment. The biofilm mode of life offers protection to its members from hostile environmental conditions and hence is known to be tougher than their planktonic counterparts.
